Trolley



Patented May I6, I899.

E. DUTY, .IB. TROLLEY.

(Application filed Feb. 10, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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NITE STATES PATENT OFF CE.

EDWIN DUTY, JR, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO;

TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 624,914, dated May 16, 1899.

Application filed February 10, 1898. Serial No. 669,768. (No model.)

[0 (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN DUTY, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Ouyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trolley Devices, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention has for its object the prevention of accidents to cross-wires supporting the conductor of overhead electrical railway systems, such accidents being caused by what is commonly called jumping the trolleywire, whereby the trolley-pole is permitted to fiy violently upward and strike and damage said cross-wires.

The invention has for a further object the prevention of loss of connection between the conductor and the car-motors and the consequent stopping of the car when said car is crossing railroad-tracks.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

I am aware that devices have been constructed for preventing such upward springing of the trolley-pole in-which the trolleypoles are actuated by independent mechanisms put into operation by the movement of the pole when flying upwardly, such mechanism on so being put into operation drawing the pole downwardly and outof the path of the cross-wires. Such devices are often impractical, for the reason that the variations -in the distance between the car and the conductor are such as to often permit the pole to move upwardly while the trolleywheel is in normal contact with the conductor a distance sufficient to put the said mechanism into operation when there is no need for such operation. Again, when the cars are moving at a high rate of speed the time which is required for the mechanism to be put into operation is great enough to permit the trolley wheel or pole while extended above the conductor to strike the next cross-wire before the pole can be withdrawn by said mechanism.

In said annexed drawings, Figure I represents a front elevation of the end of a trolleypole and a trolley-wheel attached thereto of my improved construction, showing there lative position of the device and conductor when the latter is off the wheel. Fig. II represents a side elevation thereof. Fig. III rep resents a horizontal cross-section al view taken upon the line 3 3 of Fig. II, and Fig. IV rep resents a side elevation showing the relative positions of thedevice when the conductor is off the wheel and while the car is passing over a railway-crossin g.

The trolley-wheel A is of the usual construction and is journaled on'a trolley-pole and electrically connected with the car-motors in the usual manner. The wheel-shaft a, projects on each side of the fork O of the trolleypole and forms'two axial extensions B B.

The surface of each of said extensions is covered with insulating material Z), and each extremity is provided with a guard b, consisting of a washer or flange of insulating material. The extremity of the fork-prongs c are distended, and to the outside of each prong is secured a shoe D, of insulating material. Said shoe extends from the extension'of the corresponding side of the fork upwardly to within a short distance of the periphery of the trolley-wheel, the outer edge being intermediateof the wheel-periphery and wheel axis and curved to correspond with the curvature of said wheel. The upper edgeof the shoe is beveled, turns over into proximity with the trolley-wheel face, and is rounded ofi at the corners, as shown in Fig. I.

When the trolley jumps the wire conductor E, the latter strikes the beveled edge of one of the insulating-shoes, whereupon the current is immediately cut off from the motors. From the shoe the conductor slips down upon the contiguous extension into a position such as is shown in Figs. I and II and is prevented from sliding off the end thereof by the guard 12'. The said extension hence prevents the trolleypole from flying upwardly and endangering the cross-supports of the trolley-wire by col lision therewith.

The insulating-shoe efiectively prevents trolley-wheel when the latter leaves or .is replaced on the said wire.

The length of the hangers of common use which support the trolley wires from the cross-wires in overhead electrical traction systems is greater than the distance from the upper surface of the extension to the top of the trolley-wheel, so that when the latter is off the wire and the extension is performing its function the said wheel cannot come into contact with said cross-Wires.

Extending longitudinally of and parallel with each extension 13 B is a copper conductor F, secured at one end inthe insulatingguard 19, the other end piercing the shoe D and being electrically connected with the fork 0, hence is also in electrical connection with the cond-uctor E, being at the same time, as is seen, electrically independent of the extension B. The said conductor F is located behind-referring to the direction of the forward motion of the car-the plane determined by the axes of the trolley-Wheel and the trolley-pole, said plane being indicated by the. dotted line 0000 in Fig. IV. The distance from said plane at which said conductor F is located is such that it will not contact with condnctor E while the extension is traversing the latter at a part of the system at which the said conductor E is at a normal height above the road-bed or at a height below the normal.

At railroad-crossings the trolley-wire conductors are placed considerably higher above the road-bed than the normal. Should the wheel jump the conductor while passing over such crossing, the wheel and pole assume the positionzillustrated in Fig. IV,when, it is seen, the conductor E instead of having its current cut off from the car-motors falls upon the conductor F, which conveys to the motors sufficient current to carry the car completely over the crossing. This arrangement prevents accidents occurring as 'a result of the stopping of the car on such crossing,due to jumping on the part of the trolley.

Other modes of applying the principle of' my invention may be employed instead of the oneexplained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means covered by any one of the following claims be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. The combination of a trolley-wheel suitably journaled, an extension extending laterally from said wheel, a conductor along said extension electrically connected with said wheel but electrically independent of said extension, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a trolley-wheel suitably journaled, an extension electrically independent of said wheel and extending laterally therefrom, a cond uctor located along said extension and electrically connected with said wheel'but electrically independent of said extension, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a trolley-pole, a trolley-wheel suitably mounted on said pole, an extension electrically independent of said Wheel and extending laterally therefrom, and an electrical conductor near the surface of said extension, said conductor located with out the plane determined by the axis of wheel and the axis of the pole, substantially as set forth.

4;. The combination of a trolley-pole, a trolley-Wheel suitably mounted on said pole, an extension electrically disconnected from said wheel and extending laterally therefrom,'and a conductor supported upon and parallel with but electrically independent of said extension, said conductor electrically connected with said wheel and located Without the plane determined by the wheel and trolley -pole axes, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a trolley-wheel having a lateral extension, of an insulated shoe secured intermediately of said extension and the wheel-periphery, substantially as set forth.

The combination with a trolley-wheel having a lateral-extension andjournaled in a trolley-support, of an insulated shoe secured to said support intermediately of said extension and the wheel-periphery, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 3d day of February, 1898.

EDWIN DUTY, JR.

Attest:

H. T. FISKE, A. E. MERKEL. 

